ERBILL, Kurdistan Region – Thirty-six people were killed and dozens wounded in a suspected Israeli attack on the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, state media quoted the military as saying.

The Syrian army said in a statement that “Israeli aggression” on “residential buildings” in the city center killed 36 people and wounded 50 others, adding that it also caused “significant material damage”, state-run SANA reported .

The military on Monday claimed to have shot down 15 drones trying to harm its bases in three key cities in the past two days, without blaming any side.

Israel has been accused of hundreds of airstrikes on regime-held areas of Syria through its more than decade-long civil war, often targeting pro-Iranian militias such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah group, which backs the Syrian army.

The strikes have increased since October 7 last year, when the Palestinian Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, which retaliated by invading Gaza. The conflict has now spread to Lebanon.

Israel rarely confirms attacks attributed to it in Syria, but has repeatedly warned that it will not tolerate its arch-rival Iran gaining a foothold in the country.